May 29

“Christ has made our hearts capable of this supreme overwhelming affection and has offered himself as the object of it....Continually at every heart He is knocking, asking to be taken in as the supreme object of love....’Will you be content with pleasing me, and me only?’”  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 5/29

The fact that our hearts are capable of “supreme overwhelming affection” overwhelms me.  I feel as though a boil has been lanced. I had a boil as a young child--I still have the scar.  It’s an infection that occurs around a hair follicle and left untreated creates a painful pus-filled bump.  Antibiotics must be administered to deal with the infection.  This is a good metaphor because I know the result of withholding my love.  Love held within one’s heart is always due to some unforgiveness.  This unforgiveness is the infection, that left unchecked, begins to fester.  Healing the infection allows the love to flow out of our hearts.  Jesus Christ is the only one who can heal the infection of unforgiveness.  We must first be healed by receiving forgiveness.  Then we must forgive others; otherwise we begin to reinfect ourselves because the forgiveness God gives us becomes contaminated by our unforgiveness.  This is one of those spiritual laws that God has set forth, and it makes sense.  How can we receive forgiveness, then not give it?  Even love, if hoarded, can putrefy.  Love is meant to be passed on.  We can only do this if our hearts have been opened up and handed over to God.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matthew 6:14, 15